Campaign against A14 upgrade

May 7, 2008

Updated: Tuesday, June 8, 2010 (09:03)

RESIDENTS of Brampton living near the A1 have been receiving letters from a firm of surveyors offering to represent them in any claim for noise compensation should the A14 Fen Drayton to Ellington road scheme go ahead. May I advise residents through your

RESIDENTS of Brampton living near the A1 have been receiving letters from a firm of surveyors offering to represent them in any claim for noise compensation should the A14 Fen Drayton to Ellington road scheme go ahead. May I advise residents through your columns not to sign anything - the parish council is seeking legal advice on this and will keep residents informed.

May I also state that at the annual assembly in Brampton on April 23 - St George's Day - I asked those Brampton residents present to join the Brampton A14 Campaign Group fighting against this monstrous road scheme?

The group is informal and apolitical - all we care about is the well-being and quality of life of our community. To date the campaign has been a quiet one, seeking to influence Government decisions by raising awareness of Brampton's situation should this ill-devised scheme go ahead.

We now need to prepare for a Public Inquiry next year - not so far away - and need help to do this. Many who have campaigned unsuccessfully before say that overturning a Highways Agency road scheme is impossible - but times are changing. The environmental message is getting through.

A campaign group in Wales fighting a similarly-sized road scheme (up to 11 lanes of traffic) recently won at a Public Inquiry. The Welsh Minister accepted the Inspector's findings and declined to issue the Draft Orders for the scheme to proceed. I am in touch with this group and they have generously offered to share their experience to guide us through the Inquiry process.

I appeal to the residents of Brampton: Don't give up. All is not lost. Join the Brampton A14 Campaign Group now and, like St George, we can defeat this particular dragon (in this case the Highways Agency's plans) and save our village from this horrendous road scheme.